Demolition crews make room for Chicago Old Town condo project

An upcoming condo development across from the Chicago History Museum took a key step forward as demolition crews were given the all-clear to remove a pair of buildings at the southwest corner of Clark Street and North Avenue.

The Old Town site includes the former Elly’s Pancake House building and the century-old Village Theater. Demo permits were issued for both structures but the ornate brick and terra-cotta facade of the landmarked theater will by saved and carefully reincorporated into the new residential development.

Dubbed 1550 on the Park, the proposed ten-story building recently ramped up marketing efforts for its 32 for-sale condominium units. In addition to launching a dedicated website, the project also listed a handful of residences for sale in the past month.

1550 on the Park comes from Golub & Co. and CIM Group and features a design by architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz and interiors from Gary Lee Partners. The developers took over the parcel in mid-2017 after Howard Weiner’s 101 North condo project failed to materialize.

According to photos posted to the construction-focused blog Building Up Chicago, crews are already setting up shop in front of the old theater building.